From a 'small' teen to a milestone man: Ferguson hits 100

Souths Logan Magpies skipper Rory Ferguson knows how to paint a colourful picture of his first ever Hostplus Cup game.

“I remember being a small, white Kiwi boy running up against some massive PNG Hunters,” he said of his 2018 debut.

“I was a bit timid knowing I was coming off the bench into the front row when I was 85kg dripping wet. But I was excited (former coach) Jon Buchanan gave me my first game. I’m still grateful.”

Fast forward five years and 98 more games, and Ferguson is an established forward in the game – one of the most consistent and reliable locks in Cup.

At 26 years old, Ferguson will this Sunday celebrate his 100th game in Cup, racking up the milestone as a one-club man at Souths Logan.

He has a laugh remembering the teenager that he was when he first came into the game, but the New Zealand product is proud to see where he stands today.

“It’s pretty exciting,” Ferguson said.

“I can remember when I debuted back in 2018 as a 19-year-old, just being grateful to play my first game and have one under my belt.

“To now be at 100, I’m just glad and I hope I have a few more in me.

“It makes it special being at the one club as well. There’s always opportunities to play in other Cup teams but to stay loyal to one team, I’m grateful for that and for Souths sticking behind me and giving me the opportunity.

“They always pick me and that’s why I want to play for them. I love this club and they do a lot for me and I like to think I do a lot for them. It’s a two-way street.”

Like the majority of footballers, the game has brought Ferguson a lot of heartache but also a lot of happiness.

His highlight of his career thus far comes right off the back of his lowlight, showing what a rollercoaster rugby league can be.

But it also illustrates how Souths Logan continue to develop, particularly with Ferguson at the helm as captain.

“I would say the 2022 season was definitely a tough year for us,” Ferguson said.

“We only won two games that year... It was hard to win a game, especially when you’re losing it’s hard to get momentum going so that’s my toughest year so far.

“But last year was quite a highlight for me. We went quite well and were a bit unlucky with the end to that season.

“For me personally, it’s all about balance and life outside of footy too. It can be gutting not doing as well as you want but you have to remember there’s more to life than footy.

“It’s the way you react. In 2022 we had a pretty rough year and we turned it around in 2023. In 2025 I hope we have another big year and learn from the mistakes of this year.”

The curtain will fall on Souths Logan’s 2024 season on Sunday, with the Magpies sitting just outside the eight.

But for Ferguson, while the results haven’t come on the field, it’s still been a successful year in other ways.

Another one of his career highlights has been watching young players around him develop, whether it be coming through the pathways into Cup or graduating from Cup into the NRL.

It’s something he himself has always wanted to do and, as a true leader, is so proud to watch others achieve.

“It’s a highlight for me being a stepping stone – to see young kids go onto NRL and develop through Cup,” he said.

“In Cup, the level of talent is crazy and that’s why you see so many players go onto the next level.

“I think it’s the best reserve grade comp in Australia and even around the world with the talent we have here. It sets us up.”

While he is yet to achieve his own NRL dreams, Ferguson has aspirations to one day head overseas and see how far he can push himself there.

But in the meantime, he will continue to be a proud Magpie and to hopefully achieve another dream – winning a Hostplus Cup premiership.

“Obviously that’s the main thing while I’m at Souths... I’d love to bring another premiership back to Souths,” he said.

“I know how much it would mean. I’ve never felt the feeling of winning a premiership in Cup. Every year I watch the final game and I wish one day I could be lifting that trophy.

“Becoming captain here, it was a huge honour. Souths has such a rich history and the players that have played before us and those that have captained before me, they’re massive names in rugby league.

“I’m super grateful to lead the boys out each week and I love being the captain. I’m not a massive talker but I like leading through my actions out there.”

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